Backup + clone to system for double insurance

Windows 7 has been officially released for some time. While many features have been simplified, it has added a new feature called Windows 7's most powerful new feature-native support for vhd (Virtual Disk) startup.

Speaking of system backup, we used software such as Ghost and imagex in the past. However, native support for VDH in win7 is quite different. Because the created backup file is a vhd file, which can be used as a separate system with a slight setup. This will not affect normal backup operations, there is another option.

Vhd is short for virtual hard disk, which means a virtual disk. When we use virtual PC or virtual server software, we create a vhd file. Therefore, after being attached to a virtual machine or system, it can be formatted and partitioned like a common disk.

 

Create backup = create a vhd File

Creating vhd files is simple. You just need to click "start-soProgram-Maintenance-Backup and Restore, click "Create System Image" in the left-side pane, and select an NTFS partition in the pop-up creation wizard (because the backup file will be larger than 4 GB ), select the operating system partition as prompted to complete the backup.

The "Create System Image" component backs up system partitions and boot partitions by default. Therefore, if your win7 has MB hidden partitions, the resulting backup includes two vhd files, you need to differentiate and retain the vhd file size. In addition, only the enterprise and flagship versions of win7 support vhd startup. If your system is not of these two versions, it cannot be started as a clone system.

 

Configure only one command for startup

After the backup operation is completed, a vhd file is created, which is saved under "Storage partition: \ windowsimagebackup \ computer name \ back backup date" by default. Right-click "computer-management-storage-disk management", right-click and select "add vhd", and then load the created vhd file, the system automatically assigns a drive letter to it.

Next, run the command prompt "bcdboot M: \ windows/s c:" As the Administrator to add the vhd clone system to the BCD boot menu. This setting is complete.

After restarting, select the first "Windows 7" in the Multi-boot option to start the clone partition. Open "disk management". In the current system partition, drive C is "Disk 1", that is, the clone system that loads the vhd file.

 

More options for vhd Backup System Recovery

Compared with ghost and imagex, you can choose to fix the system more flexibly by using vhd backup.

First, you can restore the entire system in the traditional way: Press F8 after restart, select "repair computer", and enter the winre repair environment, in the "system repair options" window, select "use Windows Image to recover the system", and then select vhd backup to recover the system as prompted. Similar to the Ghost Software, this operation overwrites the current operating system data.

Next, you can choose to enter the vhd clone system and perform other operations. It is particularly worth mentioning that the system partition of the vhd clone system is still a C disk, so even if the original software is installed in other partitions, most of the software can still run normally (the software installed after vhd backup is created may not run ). In this way, we can use the system to fix it as needed without restoring the system. For example, if the system is infected with viruses and cannot be started properly, you can choose to go to the clone system for detection and removal, or you can choose to enter the clone system and then back up the current system data for corresponding operations, in this way, data will not be lost due to system repair.

In addition, after some operations lead to loss or error of important system files, you can also mount vhd and use it as the source system backup warehouse to extract the original system files for repair.

In general, the last two methods are more secure and convenient than direct recovery of the system. system data and settings can also be saved to the maximum extent, so as not to "traverse" to the initial backup status, everything has to be done again. Therefore, if you want to install Windows 7, you may wish to give your system a double insurance.